late model w203 guage cluster swap into early w203?
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From: KC, MO
"annoyance" and "self-righteousness", amoung others...
late model w203 guage cluster swap into early w203?
A friend of mine is purchasing a decked out 04 c320 tomorrow w/50k mi
his only beef is the less attractive guage cluster compared to the guage cluster in say my 06 c230
anyone know if a swap is physically possible if the coding could be overcome?
hes more attracted to the (for instance) centered twin sized tach/speedo guages w/ chrome bezels compared to the huge centered speedo w/ small off centered tach that the 04 has.
his only beef is the less attractive guage cluster compared to the guage cluster in say my 06 c230
anyone know if a swap is physically possible if the coding could be overcome?
hes more attracted to the (for instance) centered twin sized tach/speedo guages w/ chrome bezels compared to the huge centered speedo w/ small off centered tach that the 04 has.
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03 g35 coupe...........02 c32 Sold
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THE C350
This will cost you at least 1k just to let you know from my understanding. The old cluster is like $995 last i heard. plus coding. Do not buy a used cluster it will not work the clusters can't be switched out after like 1k miles or something like that.
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From: centennial, CO
2003 c240
It is possible but a big pain the butt. The led's behind the numbers are easy to find and easy to change, but you risk messing up the calibration with the needles because you have to take them off to get to them. The led's that are behind the lcd screen are easy to get to but are hard to find(if you want white and red) because they are bi-color smt led's. I think you can find them in blue and red, or green and red(red turns on when an error comes up). So it depends on how much of a risk your willing to take to change the color. Also, you need to be comfortable with soldering because there isn't a whole lot of room for error because you can easily damage/melt the "board"(not really a board, its flexible thin plastic).
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2010 Mercedes-Benz E350
It is possible but a big pain the butt. The led's behind the numbers are easy to find and easy to change, but you risk messing up the calibration with the needles because you have to take them off to get to them. The led's that are behind the lcd screen are easy to get to but are hard to find(if you want white and red) because they are bi-color smt led's. I think you can find them in blue and red, or green and red(red turns on when an error comes up). So it depends on how much of a risk your willing to take to change the color. Also, you need to be comfortable with soldering because there isn't a whole lot of room for error because you can easily damage/melt the "board"(not really a board, its flexible thin plastic).
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From: centennial, CO
2003 c240
I have a used set that I did the tests on. It's still taken apart on my desk as we speak. It's a big pain. All the LED's are soldered in series so if you mess up on one then none of the ones within the group will turn on.
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2019 G70 6MT & 2022 Ford Maverick XL
Anything is possible with money, but isn't this a D2B to MOST swap? Which means $$$?
Refer him to Glyn who will hopefully be able to convince him that the pre-facelift interior is better.
Refer him to Glyn who will hopefully be able to convince him that the pre-facelift interior is better.
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From: Westwood, NJ
2004 Civic Si. FWD for the Win!
To the OP - easy answer is have your friend buy a car that he/she actually likes in the first place. Especially since the swap would run about 15-25% of the value of the car. If they like the looks of the facelifted version, they should buy one instead.
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From: Llandudno, Cape Town, South Africa
late 2009 CLK 350 Coupe Elegance, '65 Jaguar S Type wires
The new pod is part of the MOST ring. It can be fitted & made to work. Just costs bucks & I don't think it's worth it. Yes, I like the old S Class style cluster just as it is. Not even with the AMG silver ring. The old cluster is far better made.
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From: KC, MO
"annoyance" and "self-righteousness", amoung others...
That shouldn't be hard to do; the facelifted gauge pod is ultragirly.
To the OP - easy answer is have your friend buy a car that he/she actually likes in the first place. Especially since the swap would run about 15-25% of the value of the car. If they like the looks of the facelifted version, they should buy one instead.
To the OP - easy answer is have your friend buy a car that he/she actually likes in the first place. Especially since the swap would run about 15-25% of the value of the car. If they like the looks of the facelifted version, they should buy one instead.
the other responses were very informative, and even the other ones with opinions were well put.
aside from this one.
buy a different car? thats your input to his problem over a guage cluster?
the giant speedo half the size of an elementary school wall clock is a bit of a dated look. it was worth asking.
ive since emailed mbenzi.
thanks guys! interesting.
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From: Westwood, NJ
2004 Civic Si. FWD for the Win!
Since the gauge is one of the things that you look at most on the car, yes, I would consider it pretty important to not really hate it. Sounds like your friend likes everything else on the car, and can overlook that part -fine.
I still think that the cost of the swap is prohibitively expensive, especially since he's buying the car now vs. owning it for years.
There are things that can be done, though, other than the swap. If he dislikes the teeny tach (which I do), he could go a couple of ways. A small tach in the a pillar is one option. Another is an iphone app and mount the iphone in an area that is easy to see while he is driving (proclip usa sells a clip that goes to the right of the radio display, for example). Another is a Scangauge II mounted in the car; that has the ability to display revs digitally. And probably a couple of other possibilities that I have no experience with that may have been discussed here over the years.
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2019 G70 6MT & 2022 Ford Maverick XL
I couldn't deal with the Fisher Price pre-facelift interior. Tommy is right about the other thing - you spend most of your time looking at the interior. The D2B to MOST is expensive and complicated. If not solely for the gauges perhaps he should buy a facelift 2005-2007 car for the hundreds of other improvements?
